Hold On To Me
by avfics
Summary: The captain is forced to go to Bremerhaven after Maria's departure the night of the ball. He relunctantly proposes to Elsa in order to give his children a mother in case he doesn't return from the war. The worst happens and unwilling to take care of the children alone, Elsa sends them away. This is the story of how far Maria and Georg would go to protect the ones they love.
1. Chapter 1

The captain paced back and forth in his study, scratching his forehead with one hand, a slightly crumpled piece of paper in the other. He glanced down at the letter for what must have been at least the hundreth time that morning since he'd come across it on his way to breakfast.

He had woken up that morning feeling twenty years younger. Memories from the night before, from the dance he had dared to share with the woman that had been on his mind for weeks now, had come rushing back. In fact, he had hardly slept. How could he when he had finally held her in his arms, felt the heat of her body against his and stared into those deep blue eyes, his lips only inches from hers?

No, sleep hadn't come easily that night - and even when it had, it seemed he couldn't rid himself of her. There she was, in his dreams, dressed in that blue dress she'd worn the night of the puppet show, just standing on the garden path gesturing for him to come closer.  
It was the same dream night after night. He'd see her out in the garden, her dress blowing slightly in the warm summer evening breeze and the moonlight bouncing off of her, highlighting her features perfectly.

She'd always reach out a hand, as though daring him to take a step closer. He never needed much convincing, he was happy to oblige. It was as though she had him under some sort of spell. Perhaps she did. It would explain why he'd been so taken by her, so mesmerized by everything she said and did.

Nothing seemed to make sense when he was around her. Nothing seemed to matter. Rules, etiquette, social classes... All the things that should perhaps have mattered simply didn't. All of that meant nothing to him, and yet he knew that it probably should.

He was a different man when he was in her company. A changed man. A better man. She had made him a better person, a better father and for that he could never thank her enough. She had drifted into their lives like a wind swept leaf on a automn day. She had turned up, out of nowhere and turned their lives upside down.

He had never met anyone like her. She had dared challenge him, a decorated war hero and she just a young postulant, only minutes after her arrival. She had answered back without thinking twice, in front of his children, no less. And she had stood up to him when it had mattered most, knowing that it wasn't her place, risking losing her job and being sent back to the abbey.

He knew now that she was so much more than she appeared to be. She was far stronger, fiercer than she looked. She wasn't afraid to fight for what she knew to be right. He loved that about her. _He loved her_.

He knew it was wrong. His feelings, his dreams, everything. It was all so wrong. But then why did it feel so right?

When he had taken her hand in his and lead her across the dance floor to the sound of the orchestra, he couldn't help but notice how well her hand fit in his own. Not to mention the way their bodies moved so perfectly together. _How he wished he could hold her close again and feel her small frame against his._

That morning, when he had awoken, the need to see her again, to hold her again had been overwhelming. His mind had drifted momentarily to Elsa, who in the eyes of his so called friends, was perfectly suited to his way of life but his lack of feelings when it came to her was too hard to ignore. Difficult as it may be, he knew what he had to do.

He had left his bedroom feeling nervous and excited. He had been hoping to run into Elsa first so that he could take her to one side and talk things over. As much as he had enjoyed his time with her, he had always known deep down that she wasn't the one. She had brought him out of the terrible state he had been in after Agathe's death and for that he would be forever grateful. But it wasn't fair on either of them to prolong something that could never last.

His thoughts though, as he had taken the stairs a little quicker than usual, belonged to the woman who would most likely be cooking up some sort of adventure for the day with the children at the breakfast table. A small smile had crept onto his face at the thought of her and the children all talking over one another, none of them able to hear what the other's were saying but all understanding perfectly well.

A small chuckle had escaped him as he had made his way to the dining room. His smile had soon been replaced with a frown as he'd noticed an enveloppe propped up against a picture frame on the side table. Intrigued, he had stepped closer but he had stopped dead in his tracks when the name on the letter had become visible.

_Captain._

He had seen that writing before. He knew that writing. It was unmistakable hers.

By the time he'd even got to his study, he must have read it at least ten times. His eyes had trailed across the page over and over, scanning every word in case he'd missed something. He had to have missed something. That couldn't be all there was.

He had closed the door behind him, making sure he was completely alone. He had pulled out his leather chair from behind his desk and slumped himself down in it. He placed the letter on the desk in front of him and ran a hand over his face as his mind once again wondered back to the night before.

This time though it was different. He tried to think back to something, anything he might have done wrong. It must have been the dance. _What was he thinking? He hadn't even given her a choice for God's sake! He'd just put her on the spot in front of the children_. He cursed himself for having been so foolish.

"Damn!" He slammed his hand down on the wooden desk and swiftly got up from his chair and began pacing the room.

He'd read the letter so many times, he had unknowingly memorized it off by heart. Her words filled his brain, it was as though she was in the room with him, speaking them over and over and over again and each time would be more painful to hear than the last.

_Captain, _

_I am sorry to tell you that I missed my life at the Abbey so much that I just had to return._

_I do hope you can soon find a replacement for me. I would hate to cause trouble for you._

_Please say goodbye to the children for me. I will miss them dearly._

_Fraulein Maria._

His mind drifted to his children. How would he tell them? Maria wasn't just a governess to them, it was clear to see that they had come to regard her as their mother. She had been more of a parent to them in such a short amount of time than he had in years. The shame of it weighed heavily upon his shoulders, and since finding the letter, that weight seemed to have doubled.

She had been there for the children when he couldn't be. When he should have been. She had made them feel loved and wanted for the first time in far too long. She had given them hope, and happiness as well as a reason to smile. She had even brought music back into their lives, which wasn't something he'd realized he had missed until he had heard their voices harmonizing together beautifully the day he'd returned from Vienna.

_What had he done?_

If the children didn't already blame him for their unhappiness over the past few years, Lord knows they would now. How could they not? He had only recently found them again after Maria had opened his eyes to them, he couldn't bear to lose them now.

And how must Maria have felt to have decided that staying under the same roof as him for a night longer would be too unbearable? Had she left during the party? How could he not have noticed? He had most likely been too occupied entertaining his guests, most of whom, he realized he had never met in his life. No doubt some of Elsa's high society friends.

And then there was Elsa. What would he do now? When he'd woke up that morning, his mind had been made up. He was going to break things off with Elsa and ask Maria to marry him. How naive he had been.

He was sure he was going to wear away the wood flooring beneath his feet if he didn't stop pacing. He felt awful. His world had been turned upside down yet again and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

This time he swore he wouldn't let his own unhappiness get in the way of his relationship with his children. Whatever feelings he may have, he would have to put to one side. He would have to be strong for his children, something he failed to be after their mother's death.

He knew losing their beloved governess would be just as difficult, if not more so knowing that she had chosen to leave them unlike Agathe who hadn't had any choice in the matter. _How could she have just left without saying goodbye? _

He shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts and took a seat. It seemed he blamed everyone else for his own mistakes, he always had. But how could he blame Maria, knowing full well that he had driven her away himself? There was no one else to blame but himself and he hated himself for it.

"Georg?" His trail of thoughts was suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door followed by the voice of the one woman he didn't wish to see. Her voice might have sounded alluring and seductive to some, but all he ever heard whenever she spoke lately was dryness, emptiness... And never more so than now.

**A/N: First of all, thank you for taking the time to read this, it means a lot. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**I came up with the idea for this fanfiction the other day and just had to write it down. I have so many plans for this story so it could be a long one, but please bear with me.**

**If you could take a minute or so to leave a review I'd be so grateful. It's always good to hear your thoughts on my work.**


	2. Chapter 2

Maria had no idea how long she'd been walking since she'd left the abbey that morning. An hour, maybe two... Although the soles of her feet were burning and her head was spinning due to a sleepless night, nothing ached more than her heart after having left the children behind.

She was filled with feelings that she couldn't explain. She had gone back to her happy place, her mountain, and yet she had never felt more unhappy in her life. The urge to sing should have been overpowering, it usually was, but she felt that if she opened her mouth the only sound that would emerge would be that of her sobs.

How she wished she had never danced with the Captain. Then all this could have been avoided. Perhaps he would never have noticed her silly feelings for him and she could have stayed. _Oh, but she had never felt more alive than she did when he had asked her to dance._

She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and felt her heartbeat quicken as she thought back to the way she had felt that night in his arms. She knew deep down that she had no right to be thinking such things. It wasn't her place. But it seemed she had no control when it came to the Captain. Whenever she tried to think of something else, her mind would always drift right back to him.

She had once told the Reverend Mother that she could never be lost up on that mountain, and yet despite having spent most of her life up there, she felt completely and utterly lost. Her head was telling her to put one foot in front of the other and to avoid looking back, her heart on the other hand... Well, if she had listened to her heart she would never have left the villa.

After having left the party, she had headed to the abbey. After all, that was the only place she really knew she'd feel safe. She couldn't possibly have spent another night at the villa, not after the way the Captain had looked into her eyes. She'd known in that moment, at the end of their dance as they had simultaniously lowered their arms that she was in trouble. Dancing with him had made her feel things she knew someone in her position should never feel. And the worst part was, she had recognized her own fear in his eyes.

She felt like such a coward, leaving silently in the night, leaving only a letter in way of a goodbye. Oh, she couldn't even begin to imagine how the children must be feeling. She felt terrible for leaving them without warning but how could she have possibly faced the Captain again after that dance... After the way he had looked at her? Why, it would be humiliating.

Knowing that the Captain had repaired his bond with his children made leaving a little easier. And she was sure an engagement between him and the Baroness would soon be announced, it was quite obvious to anyone who knew them. She could almost feel her heart breaking at the thought but deep down she knew that the children would be so much better off. They would have a mother again and they would soon forget they ever had a governess.

She told herself despite the pain that she had made the right decision. That didn't stop her from feeling sorry for herself though. She would miss being the one the children turned to for comfort during thunderstorms, she would miss tucking them in at night. She would miss hearing them sing and the sound of their laughter filling the air. And she knew she shouldn't, but she would miss him.

She looked up towards the cloudy sky and prayed that the Lord give her the strength she needed to carry on on her path. She prayed that the Captain and the children would find comfort in one another and that the emptiness she felt within would ease with time.

It seemed to have taken her longer than she remembered to reach her destination, but then again she hadn't been that far up the Untersberg since she was a little girl. The last time she had been there was the day her father had died and she had been taken away by her uncle. She hadn't even been given the time to pack her most treasured belongings. Not that she had had anything of value, not to anyone other than herself anyway.

Up until now, that had been the most dreadful day of her life. She had certainly had her fair share of those, her uncle had made sure of it. But nothing her uncle ever said nor did, however bad it may have been, ever came close to making her feel the way she did on the day her only remaining parent and her childhood home were so cruelly taken from her.

She never thought she would ever feel that lonely or afraid again. She was wrong. As she approached the little wooden cabin, she took a moment to take it all in. She never thought she'd see this place again.

She croutched down to place her bag and guitar case on the floor beside her. She hadn't realized how much her arms had been aching until she had freed them of her belongings. She clasped her hands together and walked around the old trees, stopping to feel the bark under her fingertips and to admire the golden leaves that hung from them.

As a child she would spend her days climbing those trees, buildings dens with fallen branches and anything else she could find like she'd seen the birds doing in the treetops. She'd often search the many branches for the prettiest leaf and she'd always run inside to show her father.

Both her parents had been great lovers of the outdoors. The three of them would spend every passing day, come rain or shine outside on their beautiful part of the mountain. She realized now that her upbringing hadn't been a very traditional one. She had been homeschooled and taught about nature whereas other girls her age would have been learning social skills in the school in the village.

She was an only child but she had never once felt lonely. Her parents had made sure of it. She had had the happiest of upbringings, up until her parents had died, that was.

Perhaps that was one of the reasons she had bonded so quickly with the children. She had recognized that look of sadness deep in their eyes when she had first arrived, even though they had done their best to hide it.

She sighed as she walked over to the small stream that ran down the side of the house. Everything was just as she remembered it. The house itself seemed a little smaller, but she had only been seven or eight when she had lived there.

She hesitantly made her way towards the house. Being back there, she felt sure that her mother would emerge from the front door at any minute to tell her that dinner was ready. She smiled to herself at the thought. She had always made the most delicious meals. If she closed her eyes and concentrated hard enough, she could almost smell her mother's cooking.

She ran her fingers along the wood panelling and stopped as they reached the door handle. She was almost too afraid to turn it. She had an image in her mind of the way her home used to look and a part of her wanted to remember it that way, always. But, she had decided to leave the abbey behind her. She couldn't have stayed there, knowing that the Captain and the children were only a short walk away, it would have been unbearable... Since leaving the abbey, this was the only place she had left. The only place she could call home.

As she had once done upon her arrival at the villa's gates, she asked for help. "I have confidence in confidence alone," she whispered under her breath. She was just being silly, it was only a door handle, what was she afraid of?

Having taken a deep breath, she pushed the door open and hesitantly stepped inside. The house had been untouched for years, the breeze from the front door had disturbed the dormant dust that covered almost everything. The rising particles of dust tickled the back of her throat as she swiftly made her way across the small space to open as many windows as she could.

Once she had pulled back the curtains and let some air in, apart from the dust, the cobwebs and the musty smell, the house didn't seem to be in bad shape. Everything was just as it had been left, right down to the last newspaper her father must have read, folded over on one of the side tables.

She made her way over to a slightly crooked door that she remembered all too well. It was the door that led to her bedroom. It had always made a creaking noise when it was opened and closed which had always scared her as a child. She could never get to sleep on a night unless one of her parents checked behind the door for 'monsters' first.

She placed her palm against the door and pushed it open, listening for the noise. She smiled as she heard it once more. It didn't seem half as bad now.

There was no electricity in the house so she had to cross the dark room to draw the curtains open before she could properly see it again. It was only a tiny room, again it seemed smaller than she remembered. Other than that, she couldn't quite believe that everything was still the same.

She hadn't had many toys as a child, she hadn't needed any. She had a whole mountain to herself, what more could she need? But her mother had insisted that she should have something and had knitted her a bear that she remembered taking everywhere with her. It had been dropped from trees, dipped in the stream, dragged through the mud... It had definitely seen better days but she would never have swapped it for anything.

She felt her heart drop as she turned to the bed and saw it propped up against her moth eaten pillow. She walked over to the side of her bed and pulled the bear to her, cradling it in her arms. She dipped her head slightly and took in its scent. She didn't know what she was expecting, but like everything else in the house, it just smelt like must and damp.

Holding the bear close, she wandered through the rest of the house. There wasn't much more to see. Their home consisted only of two tiny bedrooms, a small living area - if you could call it that - to the side of the small kitchen and a tiny room in one of the corners that they had used as a bathroom.

It wasn't much, but it had been enough then and it was enough now. She didn't think that there would be any running water in the house after so many years but she decided to try the taps anyway. She walked over to the kitchen sink and gave it a go. _Just had she had thought, nothing._ The taps were dry.

It didn't matter though, she would just use the water from the stream outside. She had drank from it almost everyday as a child, it had been much quicker to dip her cupped hands into the mountain water rather than head back to the house for a drink. The water from the stream would do just fine.

She decided to give the place a good clean and to bring her things in to unpack. She hadn't brought much with her. She had left her prettier dresses at the villa, she didn't see the point in bringing them along. She probably wouldn't get the chance to wear them again anyway. Perhaps Liesl could get more use out of them, she knew how much she liked some of her clothes.

She brought along her grey dress that no one, herself included seemed to like. She wouldn't come across many people up in the mountains anyway, and although it wasn't the prettiest of dresses, it kept her warm.

She had of course brought her guitar even though she had considered leaving it behind. If the Captain hadn't have had his own she probably would have left them hers. She didn't think she'd ever feel like singing again. Not without the children, it would be too painful.

Teaching the children to sing and singing alongside them were memories she knew she would cherish forever. They truely were the most gifted children. Teaching them was a breeze. Of course, she had found out where they had got their talent from on the night of the puppet show.

The Captain, although reluctant at first, had sang so beautifully. She had discovered over time that he was a man of many talents, but she hadn't imagined that such a warm, soothing voice could belong to such a proud, perhaps strict looking man.

Oh, she could never tire of that voice. She could have listened to him all night. The sudden realization that she would never hear him sing again broke her heart. She was determined to move on with her life, but she had never dreamed it would be so difficult.

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**A/N: That's all for this chapter, I hope you enjoyed reading it - and thank you, most importantly, for reading it!**

**It would mean a lot if you could take the time to leave a review, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you so much for your lovely reviews so far. Reading them definitely put a smile on my face and made me want to get to work on the next chapters straight away!  
**

**I have quite a lot of time on my hands at the minute, and I have actually broken one of my hands so I have nothing better to do than to continue this story. Although, typing with one hand (my left hand, no less) is quite a challenge so I don't know how quickly I'll be able to write. But I promise to get to work on the next chapter straight away!**


	3. Chapter 3

An unenthusiastic "come in" was all he was able to muster. He placed the letter on his desk in front of him, smoothing it over with his hand and turned in his seat to face the door as Elsa walked in.

She gave him a quick look up and down, wondering why on earth he looked like a lost puppy. His eyes were empty, he didn't seem at all like himself. "Darling, whatever's the matter?" She took a step closer to him and reached out a hand to rest it on his shoulder.

Georg brought his hand up to cover her's and tapped it reassuringly. She had no idea why he'd locked himself away in his study. It wasn't like him to miss breakfast, he was usually the first at the table. Come to think of it, she had never known him to be late for anything in all the years she had known him. It just wasn't in his nature.

More than anything, she couldn't believe he'd left her alone with the children. She had never been alone in a room with them before, especially not at breakfast when they were all clearly far too overexcited about whatever it was they would be doing later on in the day, climbing trees or chasing each other about the gardens, no doubt. And the noise they caused was unbearable, it was like living in a zoo. They had given her a dreadful headache.

She really had no idea how that young fraulein coped with them all by herself. And where was she, come to think of it? Surely she should have been up and about by now. Wasn't getting the children ready for the day part of her job? She'd known from the moment she'd set eyes on her that she wasn't the traditional choice for a governess, but sleeping in until this hour, that really was unacceptable. She would have to have a word to Georg about her.

If she were to live at the villa with Georg - which she was hoping he'd suggest sooner rather than later - she would have to get rid of that governess. She wouldn't allow her household staff to neglect their duties. And if she thought she'd keep her on after she'd thought it acceptable to dance with her soon to be fiancé at her own ball, she had another thing coming.

Now what was wrong with Georg? He really did seem miserable, even more so than usual. He looked as though he were in a far away land... His mind clearly was elsewhere. Hoping to bring him out of his daze, she ran her spare hand over his cheek. He looked up at her for a moment and then turned in his chair slightly and picked something up from his desk.

Her eyes followed the piece of paper, which looked rather like a letter. He paused for a moment before handing it to her and she looked at him questioningly.

"She's gone," he said, handing her the note. _She? Who was he refering to?_ She took the letter from him and watched as he dropped his head to rest it in his hands. Her eyes drifted back to the piece of paper in her hand and she unfolded it, desperate to find out what had got him so rattled.

Her eyes lit up as she read through it and a small smile appeared on her face, which she hoped Georg hadn't seen. It seemed the girl had come to her senses. It was about time. At least now he could forget about her and his silly crush that he thought he had. Now that she was gone, surely he would realize it was about time he asked her an all important question. God knows she had waited long enough.

Having said that, she wasn't too happy about the reaction he seemed to be having to her sudden departure. She could feel the jealousy burning inside of her but she wouldn't show it, she knew by now it was best to hide these kind of feelings. She had had plenty practice over the years. Her jaw tightened and she discarded the letter on top of a pile of books on a table beside her.

Georg's eyes followed the letter but before he had time to react, she was pulling him to his feet. "Come along, Georg" she said, putting on her best smile. "You promised me you'd show me around the lake this morning, and look," she beamed, pointing to the sky through the window, "it's such a beautiful day!"

He didn't share her enthusiasm, but he thought perhaps a walk around the lake would give him the chance to think about what he was going to tell the children. He didn't feel ready to face them just yet. He would let them have some time to play before he broke the news. He wished he didn't have to tell them, he wished she'd never left. But be that as it may, she had and he would have to face up to it.

"Why don't you go wait outside?" He suggested. "I should check on the children, I'll be right out." Elsa nodded and made her way to the french doors, her expensive red dress trailing behind her. Georg turned and watched her leave. He had to hand it to her, the woman did know how to catch a man's eye. He was also very aware that she knew exactly what she was doing.

He turned on his heel as he heard footsteps approaching. "Ah Max!" By the look on his face, it seemed he hadn't had the best start to the day either. It didn't take a genius to work out the reason behind that.

"Too much to drink last night, Max?" He sounded amused but the look that Max gave him told him that _he_ was not. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember seeing him without a drink in his hand at the party. He showed him no sympathy though, it was all his own doing.

"They kept on pooring me glasses of the most exquisite champagne, Georg. It would have been rude to refuse!" He did love a good party, especially those thrown by his rich friends. How marvellous it was to spend an evening in such fine company surounded by women draped in their most expensive jewels and the men dressed in their finest suits. Not to mention the wonderful food. He really did feel fortunate to be among some of the most highly regarded names in Austria. If a little hangover was the price to pay, then so be it.

"You are amusing, Max, but if you'll excuse me I must see to the children." He tapped his friend on the shoulder and set off towards the dining room where, if the noise was anything to go by, he was sure he'd find his seven children.

Max set off but suddenly met with the realization that seeing to the children was the young fraulein's responsability, he stopped and turned around. "Isn't that Fraulein Maria's job?" He hadn't been up long but he hadn't recalled seeing her anywhere which was quite unusual. He hoped she wasn't ill.

Georg stopped and closed his eyes, his back to his friend. He had hoped to postpone this conversation. He still hadn't come to terms with it himself. The fact that he would most likely never see Maria again was difficult enough as it was, he didn't want to have to talk about it.

"I'll explain everything later," was all he could manage. He tried to sound as normal as possible - he didn't want Max to catch on to his feelings for Maria. He cleared his throat before speaking again. "Elsa's outside if you want to join her." Deciding he'd said all he wished to say, he carried on his walk to the dining room.

_How very intriguing_. Did Georg really think he could say that little and expect him to not want to know more? He would make it his mission to find out what was going on. He had noticed the looks Georg and the young governess had shared. You would have to be a fool not to. They had certainly been quite obvious at the party too. _Hmm, intriguing to say the least._ He was quite sure Elsa would have more details, and he did love a good gossip. Suddenly he wasn't feeling so ill and was making his way out onto the terrace.

"Father!" The children voiced their excitement at seeing their father and jumped down off their seats to greet him. They younger ones were just happy to see him, they had had the most wonderful time at the party and had been waiting all morning to tell him all about it. They had loved singing in front of all their father's friends and watching the men and women dancing away to the most beautiful music. It was better than anything they'd ever read about.

The older ones though couldn't help but notice that familiar look of sadness on his face as he'd walked in. It was a look they hadn't seen since Fraulein Maria had arrived. He had tried to hide it as soon as he'd entered the room but after seeing it for four years it wasn't difficult to notice.

Liesl had stood and watched from a distance as he'd wrapped his arms around Marta and Gretyl as they'd run up to him. He was smiling now, chatting away with them, but she could tell he was putting on a brave front. Was it a coincidence that he had missed breakfast and looked like he hadn't slept for days the day Fraulein Maria hadn't turned up? She hoped so, but somehow, deep down she knew to expect the worst.

She remembered that look from the day he had gathered them all together when their mother had died to tell them of her passing. It was that same sad, guilty look. The one he wore when he was going to have to tell them something he knew would upset them. Still, a part of her still hoped that Fraulein Maria was just late - it wouldn't have been the first time after all.

It seemed her brothers and sisters were just as curious as she was to know the whereabouts of their governess. As usual, they all spoke over the top of one another but the question on all of their lips was the same. _Where is Fraulein Maria?_

He had expected them to ask after her but hearing it was worse than he could have imagined. He looked down at all of their hopeful little faces, knowing that he would be the one to wipe their smiles away. He still didn't know how he was going to tell them. Should he just blurt it out? How would he explain the reason behind her leaving?

He looked around the room, searching for an answer to their questions, hoping something would pop into his head. Nothing did. But he caught Liesl's eye and her questioning look. He kept his eyes locked on her for a second and when he saw her head drop, he knew she had understood. Maria had been right, Liesl had grown into a woman right in front of his eyes and he hadn't noticed. Not until now.

He decided to avoid the question in the hope that they would let it drop for now. "Why don't you children go and play outside? Get some fresh air." His words were met only with protests, it seemed he had underestimated their love for Maria.

"Oh father, why wasn't Fraulein Maria at breakfast? She isn't ill is she?" Brigitta couldn't understand why her father was avoiding the question. Judging by the worried expressions on the rest of their faces, they were all wondering the same thing.

Georg reached out a comforting hand and stroked his daughter's cheek. "No, she isn't ill." That seemed to come as a relief to them all. "There isn't anything to worry about. Now off you go." This time it came as more of an order than as a request. He looked to Liesl for help but she was already making her way towards the younger ones and ushering them out of the door despite their protests.

"Liesl," she stopped and turned to her father at the mention of her name and was met with an appreciative smile and a nod of the head. She smiled back half-heartedly. She couldn't quite manage more than that. He knew how she felt. He hoped she knew how proud he was of her. She really had displayed a level of maturity that was quite beyond her years. She had become so much like her mother, he had just been too blind to see it before now.

After standing alone with his thoughts for a moment, he decided he too should head outside. He had already kept Elsa waiting long enough.

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**A/N: First of all I just wanted to apologize for the time it has taken me to post this next chapter. I haven't been able to post another before now for various personal reasons but I'm much better now and I'm ready to start writing again.  
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**Thank you so much for sticking with me and continuing to read this story, it means a lot. I really do enjoy writing and the Sound of Music is the most perfect inspiration. Bear with me and the next chapters should be posted shortly. **

**Please do let me know what you think, as always, I very much appreciate the reviews. I hope you all have a lovely Sunday!**


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